Anal surgeon reveals concerning 'very common' toilet mistake made by millions every day

A leading anal surgeon has highlighted a common mistake that many of us make every time we go to the toilet.

Dr Evan Goldstein has the unusual titles of 'Dr Butthole' and 'the bottom whisperer', so clearly knows his a*se from his elbow.

Dr Goldstein warns of ways that people might be comprising their health when they go for a number two, because there are a surprisingly large number of health impacts this could have.

But the doctor, who is one of the most respected anal surgeons in the US, has issued a warning about hpw one part of many people's visit to the smallest room in the house might end up being bad for them, and very costly.

You know the routine - you sit down, open your copy of the newspaper - more likely phones nowadays - and let nature take its course.

There's one common error (HUIZENG HU/Getty)

Then, you reach for the toilet paper.

And believe it or not, this is where 'Dr Butthole' warned the 'Am I Doing It Wrong' podcast, run by HuffPost, that you are making an error, as 'traditional wiping' can actually cause damage to your rear end.

So, you might reach for the wetwipes instead for a gentler touch, but the doctor warned in the October 2024 episode that this would be an even bigger mistake.

"They are so terrible - not only for the environment, but for your hole," he explained.

"There's so many companies out there throwing wipes and I think they should all be banned.

"I see 90 people a week [in my office], and I would say one-third of all the people coming through are coming in from wet wipe-induced issues."

But why are they so bad?

Well, Dr Goldstein explained that it's all to do with the chemicals that they're soaked in, as these can impact on your microbiome.

"We have good bacteria, we have bad bacteria, but they are in homeostasis. They are in equilibrium. Wet wipes f**k that in a really bad way," he said.

Disrupting this can lead to infection and dermatitis, and even haemorrhoids, fissures, and fungal growth.

If you've ever travelled in some parts of the world you may have encountered one of these (VacharapongW/Getty)

And let's face it, no-one wants to deal with fungus growing on their bum.

Dry toilet paper can also cause irritation, so Dr Goldstein recommended using a bidet to wash off down there when you're done.

There are even portable handheld ones available, or even just a plastic jug of water, as long as you don't mind sacrificing the jug of course.

Using water is actually already common hygienic practice in huge parts of the world.

After all, if you got poo on any other part of your body you wouldn't just wipe it off with a dry tissue and call it a day, would you?

The doctor just advised to make sure you dry everything down there afterwards.